Benin's Esogbang Dies at 94

Benin's Esogban Chieftain David Edeviri has died after a brief illness.

His family said Edebiri died at 12:20 pm.

"He wasn't that strong, so we took him to the hospital a few days ago, but he passed away this afternoon. The family will follow the official release procedures," said one family member.

Esogban, second only to Iyase (Prime Minister) of Benin, is often referred to as the Odionelle of the Kingdom of Benin.

His last major appearance, which was widely reported in the media, was in the March 18 gubernatorial and state legislative elections, in which he said the February 25 presidential election was the best since voting began in 1951. He said he hadn't missed an election since 1951, when he first voted as a 22-year-old. "Thank God I am alive and able to vote in this election.

“I came here to vote as I did two weeks ago. Interestingly, I know that he started voting in the local elections for the House of Representatives in Ibadan in December 1951, when he was 22. At that time we were part of the Western Region. Since then, I have never failed to vote in any election, whether national or subnational."

"Some of the things that happened in the last two weeks were just a coincidence. Those who voted weren't party members and came to make a statement for a specific reason, but when that statement failed, their interests vanished. The Feb. 25 election was the best I've seen and voted for since 1951."

Journalist and author Edeviri published his two books in 2022 called Tripod of Life.

On the occasion of his 93rd birthday, he wrote The Essence of Beninese Traditions and Culture and The Life and Times of Iyase Noenmuwen, in which he said Nigeria went astray when its leaders adopted the US presidential system in 1979, but he felt it was not being practiced as it should have been. 

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